00:44 - ApothecaryI never saw the appeal of Pallbearer. Ok music, but not worth the enormous praise they've been getting by some. Didn't ever impress me much on album and when I saw them live with Deafheaven I wasn't really won over either

Although the last couple of years have seen Norway's leading elite melodic black metal act Dimmu Borgir release a mini live E.P. "Alive In Torment" and the C.D./D.V.D. set "World Misanthropy" , it's the studio follow up to 2001's "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" that fans have been really waiting for with high anticipation.

I am not a great fan of black metal, especially not fairly well-produced "raw"/"brutal"/"intense" black metal. I listen to some atmospheric stuff, but that's all. I am not a great fan of symphonic metal either, in my opinion not many bands succeed to create symphonic metal with enough quality. Rhapsody of Fire is one band that manages to do it, and Therion as well even if their symphonic arrangements are more in the background in some way. But with this album, the band Dimmu Borgir has managed to create my favourite symphonic metal album, and probably also my favourite black metal album ever. It's also definitely my favourite Dimmu Borgir album, and I know a lot of people will disagree here...

Yes, it's very impressive with this sound, all with this blooms, and tiny little details to make it bombastic. But on the other side, I can understand all the trve-blackers, why they hate the newer DB albums.